A Fishy Deal

A Fishy Deal
Date of Scene:	30 April 2013
Location:	Costa Del Sol
Synopsis:	Seloria tracks down Souji and offers her services.
Cast of Characters:	Seloria Delacreaux, Souji Murasame

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Souji Murasame has posed:
Costa Del Sol is as sunny and beautiful as usual. Some people might be suspicious about the nature of this seemingly permanently perfect beach resort, but no one really looks at it too hard.

After all, there are delicious tropical drinks to be had and a beautiful beach to suntan and basically show off on.

Souji will have none of these things.

.... Okay, maybe he'll enjoy a fruity tropical drink. He sits at a beachfront cafe, looking over some folios with an intent expression while he sips from a coconut shell which contains the delicious mixture of juices and other things. There is a little umbrella.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Over in the sea, Seloria swims. She knows Souji is out there, but she's going to be lazy, eventually surfacing not that far away from him. Swathing herself in a large beach towel, she eventually meanders her way up to the table, moving rather silently for her squeaky-wet sandals.

"Murasame." She says, cheerfully greeting him with a nod of her head.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Squeak squeak squeak squeak squeak

"Delacreaux." Souji glances up from his papers, and closes them up before she accidentally drips on them. Things get wet around Seloria, it's just a thing. "You seem to be in good health." Any day Seloria is swimming is probably a good day to her. "So to what do I owe the pleasure of your presence?"

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"I would like a buisness arrangement." Seloria says, flat out.

"BEfore you ask, I'm not going through Helena." She takes a seat, wrapping up her hair in a smaller towel she pulls out of her beach bag, sighing.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Well, that was straightforward.

Souji folds his hands together and tilts his head slightly. "I see." He says. "And I don't really blame you. Helena is... a bit too friendly with the employees sometimes." There is a pause. "I find her to be an effective filter." And that explains why Souji has her doing his secretary work.

"So you would like to make an arrangement. What kind of arrangement?" Souji asks. "Your talents can be put to use in a number of ways. Some, I believe, you would find more interesting than others."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"... Helena is a bit too friendly with /everyone/, what are you talking about?" Seloria says, giving Souji a frank look. "Except maybe with you, but you employ her. And Jidro, but -- he's not exactly Celba's type." She shrugs, fluidly, leaning against the back of her chair.

"Let me hear your ideas before I say mine; perhaps we have had the same idea." The smile playing across her lips says that she totally doubts that one.

Souji Murasame has posed:
"Celba was adopted by the Murasame Family. Maybe one day she will bear the name, provided she can live up to the expectations, but she is basically like my sister." Souji replies. "She does not need to be friendly to me."

Souji shrugs. "As far as Jidro is concerned... Celba finds him too easy to tease." He leans back as well, bringing one hand up to tap at the side of his head. He smiles faintly in response.

Let's give it a try.

"The ocean is the source of a great deal of life. Especially in this world where forms of life that we are unfamiliar with exist. I am planning to open a biotech research branch of the corporation in response to the medical needs of Ivalice, and some of your research has already indicated that some of the potential resources to be found in the seas could be of use. I would be placing you alongside other members of the Alexander academy student corps who have decided to seek employment with me, as well as possibly Kyra Hyral."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria shakes her head, but keeps the rest of the comments about Helena to herself. Especially when he mentions Jidro - she does feel sorry for him, and there's a bond of Levitani pride that Helena has for the poor magelet. She then tilts her head as she listens to Souji, before smiling brightly.

"Close!"

"I don't mind gathering information for you - but I won't do the research on it. While I adore working the sceience, I don't want to deal with the science side, but you can trust me to be a gatherer." Seloria tucks herself into the chair, floppy, lazy, and perfectly comfortable.

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji thinks for a moment, and then nods. "Fair enough. You can work with Thirza on the various issues we're going to encounter with the oceanic gathering teams." While Seloria seems to content herself with being lazy, Souji is still straight and proud. And holding a fruity tropical drink in a coconut shell.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"In exchange, I need a bit of a ... either help to open up a shop, or a place to do my seamstress stuff that isn't out of my inn room." Seloria asks, with a sigh. "An even trade, really - you don't even have to pay me, unless you're buying something from the clothing shop~!"

Souji Murasame has posed:
"That's rather irregular, Delacreaux. If you work for me, you will be paid a fair wage for your talents. You can spend it on a home or a shop or water floats if you like. It is not my concern." Souji says, frowning slightly. "It would be... inadvisable for me to take your work for free."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"I don't /want/ to play that game. I don't even want to fucking work with anyone, but Nik got worried about me and he said I was going to kill myself if I didn't get some kind of backing and he's the whole reason I'm even sitting here /talking/ to you."

Seloria half-grumps, half-snarls her reply out.

Souji Murasame has posed:
"Dragonius. So he can care about someone." Souji looks down, rubbing his chin for a moment, and then looks back up to Seloria. "I seem to have misunderstood what you were trying to do, Delacreaux. My apologies. I am used to more... regular and long-term engagements."

There is another pause. "So this is about your desire to be a seamstress?"

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria looks down at the table, then back up at him. "Nik cares about us all, most people just don't *realize* it. I'm doing this more to keep an eye on Alma, anyways." She says. "I don't trust Celba one bit when it comes to her, and ... I'd like to make sure Alma doesn't get into trouble via Helena she can't get out of."

"It is, primarily. I was offering an exchange - you get my free time research, and in return you help fund the store. Right now, I'm running it out of my inn room here in Costa Del Sol. It's not pretty."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji squints slightly. "Why /do/ you dislike Celba so much? She doesn't mean any actual harm, she just enjoys teasing people." He leans back in his chair, and considers. "Well then. We can come to a useful arrangement for the both of us in this respect. I don't see a reason to deny you at this point. Your research is useful and deserves compensation."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"I don't DISLIKE her, she just has heavy-handed methods and Alma is ... she's not emotionally or mentally built to be able to handle Helena. Kyra, yeah. Me, yeah. I can withstand her. But she terrifies Alma, and I don't want Alma to be hurt!"

She squints back at him. "Well, thank you."

Souji Murasame has posed:
"To be fair, Alma is going to have to toughen up. The world is not a kind place." Souji points out. "Our world was devoured. We don't have the luxury to be emotionally vulnerable and stutter all the time because we have no faith in ourselves." He frowns to himself. "Perhaps that is why she has faith in Cosma instead."

He shakes his head. "Anyway, I'll have Minette draw up an agreement and deliver it to you for the basis of our exchange. You provide us your aquatics research and I will give you compensation in exchange for your time.

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Throwing Helena at Alma is just going to break her. I know she needs to toughen up - we all do - but /still/. You just don't toss a lamb at a lion." Beat. "Or a lion at a lamb, depending whose side you're talking about here." She frowns.

"I'll have someone read the file." She says calmly. "Also, next time you wonder if Nik can care, remember he originally was my bethrothed!"

Souji Murasame has posed:
"I'll take your advice under consideration." Souji says, relenting for now. He's not really here to discuss Alma's problems anyway.

"It will be along shortly. I'd write it up now but I usually do not carry those kinds of documents with me." He pauses, and then looks over to Seloria. "Perhaps it is my upbringing, Delacreaux, but where I came from, 'betrothed' carried with it a number of additional meanings. Dragonius is not demonstrating the behavior I would expect of someone who was betrothed."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
Seloria shrugs her shoulders. At least she told Souji.

She then chuckles. "Minette's probably listening in - via one of the other cafes, isn't she?" She asks, her mouth twitching into a half-knowing, half-amused smile. "When has he ever demonstrated behavior you expected?"

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji simply nods. "Yes." He well knows the habits of his erstwhile minion. "I /expect/ quality from him. I would have /expected/ him to be loyal to you and to ensure that you are well taken care of instead of having someone else do it for him. He has rarely /surprised/ me since I learned about his lack of discipline. These days, I expect him to disappoint me, and rarely have I been incorrect in my expectations."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"He /has/ quality. I /am/ well taken care of. He knows that he wanders too much and has ensured my care into the hands of someone I am employed with, even if we don't technically have a standard 'working' relationship." She says, smiling at Souji, far too brightly.

"Nor that we're 'bethrothed' anymore, but that is neither here nor there."

Souji Murasame has posed:
"That's not what I mean and you know it, Delacreaux. But this isn't important." Souji shrugs. "I'll have Minette come by with the paperwork. I will disburse some funds to you for the research we already received and will continue to do so."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Is there a length on the contract, bearing in mind that if I get the activity up I wo'nt need your support any more for the shop?" Seloria asks, a small smile curving her lips. She looks like a cat that's gotten int othe cream.

Souji Murasame has posed:
"You will need to work on your poker face if you ever want to engage in business negotiations at any reasonable level." Souji comments. "Regardless, I don't see a need to enforce a duration, Delacreaux. I will be generous and allow you to engage in the trade for as long as you believe is needed."

Seloria Delacreaux has posed:
"Then it is a good thing I was not attempting a poker face. Thank you, Murasame." Seloria stands up, brushing off her coverall, with a sigh. "Minette should know how to find me; I'm afraid I must go. Something is calling me."

Souji Murasame has posed:
Souji squints slightly at that. Something? He doesn't comment though. "Good luck, Delacreaux." Souji says, as she goes. He turns back to his work at this point, a contemplative expression on his face.